Kozhikode: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Muslim scholars and communities to keep pace with artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, warning that falling behind could leave them vulnerable to outside influence. "Without knowledge, we will fail. Without understanding artificial intelligence, we will be colonized," Anwar said at an award ceremony in Kozhikode, located in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

According to Anadolu Agency, Anwar made these remarks after receiving the inaugural Excellence Award instituted by the Sheikh Abubakr Foundation at the Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya in Karanthur. He emphasized that religious scholars need to recognize the "new realities and challenges of the present time," which include modern technology, new sciences, digital transformation, and AI. However, he also stressed that technological advancement must not compromise religious and ethical principles.

Anwar highlighted the need for knowledge and expertise, asserting that Muslim societies must ensure technological development aligns with their "faith and moral values." He warned about the risk of external values being introduced through new technologies, which could undermine faith and ethics, especially when societies lack the knowledge to understand and shape these technologies themselves.

He expressed concern that Muslim scholars and societies were not sufficiently addressing the challenges posed by AI, despite growing debate over its risks among leading technology industry figures. Anwar called for greater engagement with AI while ensuring that technological progress remains rooted in knowledge, ethics, and religious values.

Anwar was presented with the Excellence Award by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, the Grand Mufti of India and a prominent Sunni scholar. The Malaysian prime minister traveled to Kerala after attending the BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi.